


Ghost In The Mirror

by jcknwng



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Blood and Gore, M/M, Probably bad characterisation, Scars, Tokyo Ghoul AU, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5376638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jcknwng/pseuds/jcknwng
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi is a Ghoul, Oikawa is not. It doesn't stop them spending every waking moment together, though.</p>
<p>AUTHOR NOTE: i stopped this fairly early because i lost ideas for where the plot could go. however i am not against continuing this au in other works. sorry :c</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is really? I just finished Tokyo Ghoul and had a need for Oikawa tracing scars on Iwaizumi and vice versa. I hope this is okay ahhh.

Oikawa had been awake since Iwaizumi had returned in the early hours of the morning. Iwaizumi had tried to be as quiet as he possibly could but it didn't take much to stir Oikawa. It was the shower switching on that had pulled him out of his slumber, and upon the realisation that Iwaizumi was home, he knew there was no chance he'd get back to sleep. When Iwaizumi had climbed into bed, he'd pretended, allowed his body to be pulled close to Iwaizumi's. Oikawa hadn't moved when he'd felt Iwaizumi bury his face into his neck, and he only opened his eyes when he felt the smaller male's body relax completely against his own. 

He'd met Iwaizumi on strange terms. Those terms being that Oikawa had meant to be his lunch. Until he'd started crying and Iwaizumi had gone into a suddenly weird protective mode. Oikawa was certain you weren't meant to ask your meals if they were okay and if they needed anything. But it had worked in Oikawa's favour. Iwaizumi had let him live, and so they'd started a weird back-and-forth relationship (if it could be described as that). It had eventually gotten to the point where Iwaizumi was becoming more of a housemate than a visitor. Oikawa had begun to wonder if he even had a home.

While he waited for the time to pass, Oikawa busied himself with tracing patterns along Iwaizumi's skin. Although Iwaizumi's wounds healed and left no trace of ever being there, his body still held scars from a time before he'd become a Ghoul. It was a story that Iwaizumi hadn't shared with him, and always seemed to avoid the subject. But that only made Oikawa want to learn more. Reluctantly, he had to settle for making up his own stories about where Iwaizumi got his scars. From falling off a swingset as a child, bumping into kitchen counters too much. He often thought about how Iwaizumi came to be a Ghoul, too. Nobody seemed to know the origin of them, and it left Oikawa wondering what could go so completely wrong that you'd be sentenced to a life of such horror. 

His fingers idly brushed against a jagged scar on Iwaizumi's shoulder. It ended just at the end of his shoulder blade. Oikawa's fingers then found one towards his lower back. He pulled his hand away when it bumped against a scar that felt new, only continuing his tracing when he realised it was probably just where Iwaizumi's kagune rested. Oikawa recalled Iwaizumi saying it was a Rinkaku kagune because of where it was placed. He'd only ever seen it twice - it was beautiful, in his eyes. It was bright red and scaled, and the time he'd seen it, it had curled around Iwaizumi's body like it was infatuated by him. Oikawa could barely blame it. 

He was still trying to come to terms with the differences in his body and Iwaizumi's. His body didn't regenerate, it didn't hold a pretty deathly kagune and his eyes certainly didn't glow red when he was hungry. But all of these things were endearing to Oikawa. He'd was busy musing over what he would be like as a Ghoul when Iwaizumi shifted his weight, turning head so that he was looking up at Oikawa. 

"Did I wake you again?" Iwaizumi's voice was rough and it made Oikawa jump. He had been far too lost in his own daydream to realise Iwaizumi had woken up. He offered a smile, shaking his head.

"Ehh, I was already half awake, no worries~. How was dinner, Iwa-chan?" 

Iwaizumi shifted again, pulling his body away from Oikawa's so that he could prop himself up with his elbows. Oikawa moved his body to fit in with Iwaizumi's new position, slotting himself between Iwaizumi's legs, chin resting on his chest. He wished he hadn't looked at Iwaizumi's face, which was twisted with a number of conflicting emotions. Iwaizumi never wanted to share stories, but he also hated avoiding Oikawa's questions or keeping things from him. And then there was the waking him up business. Oikawa knew he'd be trying to think of something to say that could apologise for that while avoiding the dinner question altogether. 

"Did you find a pretty boy to eat?" Oikawa grinned at him and was relieved to see Iwaizumi's face fall into a half-frown. It was better than his previous expression(s). He shook his head which put Oikawa's stomach to rest. "Good." Oikawa pressed a soft kiss to Iwaizumi's chest, suddenly catching a glimpse of a scar he'd forgotten to trace. "As long as you're good and fed now, Iwa-chan." 

"You should sleep, Oikawa." 

Oikawa waved his hand as if he was batting the words away. He wasn't tired, anyway. And he had plans with some of his friends from college today. There was no point sleeping now. 

"You're so goddamn stubborn." This drew a laugh from Oikawa, who gave Iwaizumi an innocent shrug, his head falling to rest on the other male's chest. He closed his eyes, arms snaking beneath Iwaizumi's waist, hands resting where Iwaizumi's kagune should be. 

"Tell me about your kagune and I'll nap for ten minutes." He would always attempt to negotiate with Iwaizumi, even if he got nowhere with it. He heard Iwaizumi huff audibly and then felt his body shift from beneath him. Oikawa moved his arms so that they wouldn't be stretched to the point of pain as Iwaizumi slid out of the bed. Oikawa rolled onto his side, kicking away the blankets and smiling as he managed to catch a view of Iwaizumi's shirtless form. He was definitely a wonder to behold, and coming from Oikawa, that was a saying something. Iwaizumi pulled on one of Oikawa's shirts, his own would still be covered in his dinner, and turned to face the brunette.

"Don't come crying to me when you fall asleep in class, Assikawa." Iwaizumi's voice was gentle, there was no harshness to his words. Oikawa still feigned hurt, however.

"Rude Iwa-chan, I'm going to take my key back!" 

Iwaizumi flashed him a smirk as he left the bedroom. Oikawa cursed himself mentally. He had been comfortable, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened towards the end of this but I hope it's okay? Any comments / constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!!

Breakfast had gone the same way it usually did. Iwaizumi sat with his cup of coffee while Oikawa had surrounded himself with orange juice, tea and a healthy (or not healthy, depending on how you looked at it) amount of pancakes. He'd left most of them, becoming far too distracted with asking Iwaizumi questions. It wasn't so bad, this routine. Iwaizumi quite enjoyed spending time with Oikawa, seeing how he acted when he completely had his guard down. Since meeting the brunette, Iwaizumi had noticed several things about him. 

Number one: Oikawa was incredibly concerned with how he looked. He was forever checking himself out in shiny surfaces and fixing his hair when it didn't particularly need it. But he was also intensely insecure. Oikawa sought approval and acceptance without being entirely open about it. Iwaizumi was sure that it was only because he had seemed to be able to read Oikawa from the word 'Go' that he could notice it. Number two: He was ridiculously inquisitive. Questions left unanswered or avoided were not forgotten. He would always come back to them - whether it be in a few minutes, a few days or even a few weeks. It was oddly endearing and incredibly annoying. Number three: He stuck his tongue out far too much. Iwaizumi had found himself having to restrain himself from grabbing hold of it to prove a point. 

And finally, Oikawa was the most endearing and interesting human being that Iwaizumi Hajime had ever laid eyes on. All of the aforementioned points (and many more) made it so. In short; he was beautiful, and he knew it, but sometimes he didn't. He was clever but he was a smartass, but he constantly looked for confirmation of his intelligence. He was stubborn but polite in an infuriating manner. 

Oikawa Tooru confused Iwaizumi in all the right ways. 

"Do you remember what your favourite food was when you were human?" The question made Iwaizumi think. It had been so long ago since he'd had human food that he couldn't even remember the sort of things he used to eat. When he'd become a Ghoul, he'd slipped into a rut where he'd refused to even look at pictures of food. He'd tried to wipe it from his memory completely.

"Agedashi tofu." He recalled quietly, taking a slow swig of his coffee. He rolled his eyes as Oikawa pulled a face, taking a sip of his own tea. 

"I knew it would be boring, Iwa-chan~ Let's see..." Oikawa sat back in his seat, humming tunelessly as he thought of something else to ask. Iwaizumi watched him closely, resisting the urge to accidentally nudge his chair in hopes that he'd give up digging. "Oh yes - what did you used to do before you became a people muncher?" Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes at Oikawa's question. Partly because of the wording he'd used and partly because it was a question with an answer that held far too much information. He'd been fairly young. 

"Nothing, I was a normal kid. Didn't you say you had to meet friends today?" 

Oikawa looked like he wanted to argue the subject change but his head got the better of him and he bit his tongue, simply nodding and pushing himself away from the table to get ready. Iwaizumi sighed, waiting until Oikawa was out of sight before clearing away the dirty dishes. He had friends of his own to meet, actually. 

~~ 

"Iwa-chan, you don't have to walk me _everywhere_. I'm capable of getting places safely," Oikawa didn't mind, really. It was hard to back up a statement like that while currently clinging to Iwaizumi's arm. He didn't mention how the height difference made him think it should be the other way around and what if _he_ was the Ghoul in this scenario? Even Oikawa knew the consequences of statements like that. 

"I also have friends. This is just convenient. I'll leave before you wake up in future." Oikawa clung on a little tighter, bringing a smirk to Iwaizumi's lips. They walked in silence towards Oikawa's college. It was pleasant to not have to use his energy to avoid questions shot his way by Oikawa. He didn't mind answering them when they were easy to answer, but some things just didn't need to be brought up. Perhaps ever, really. The only question Oikawa asked was when they reached his college gates. 

"Will you meet me at 5 tonight? Out here." Oikawa had asked, tugging at his lower lip while he waited for an answer. Iwaizumi raised a brow, simply nodding his head. Oikawa had smiled, pecked him on the lips and practically skipped to where his friends were waiting. It got dark earlier lately, maybe that was why Oikawa wanted company. 

With a shrug at himself, Iwaizumi put his hands into his pockets and began to walk towards the hospital. 

~~

"Don't you think it's ironic?" 

No. Iwaizumi didn't. In fact, he hadn't thought it was ironic the last 60 times Kuroo had said it, either. He ignored his 'friend', focusing entirely on ensuring that all of the surgery equipment was sterilised. 

"It's definitely ironic." Nobody had answered him, thankfully. That was the sound of a rather defeated Kuroo Tetsurou. Iwaizumi turned around, satisfied that he'd grabbed all of the equipment. 

Kuroo was sat cross legged on the floor with a comic book in front of him, his hair falling into his face as he looked down at the pages. It was still only early in the surgery but realistically, they should have been midway through their morning preparations. 

"How do you still even have a job, Kuroo?" Iwaizumi frowned, folding his arms across his chest. Usually this was all he did until it got to 9am. Then when the surgery opened fully, he'd become the most productive so and so you'd ever seen. Of course, Iwaizumi figured that was only due to rushing. 

"Um, would you fire this face?" Kuroo looked up from his comic, gesturing to his face which was half hidden behind unfortunate bed hair. Iwaizumi thought about it for a moment before shaking his head. "There you go."

"I wouldn't have hired you in the first place." 

Iwaizumi turned his back just as the comic book hit him. "Bite me." Well that was uncalled for. He shot Kuroo, who was now standing, a look which told him to not even go there. Kuroo clicked his tongue, finally setting about his morning tasks. They were finally finishing up when the surgery doors opened and the two of them were joined by Doctor Sugawara. 

"Good morning, boys! How are we today? Ready and raring to go? I know I am!" Sugawara was their boss and he was a good one at that. He was the head surgeon at the hospital and one of the most down to earth humans that Iwaizumi had ever met. Everything seemed to shine while he was around and even the most unhappy person would find themselves wanting to do everything for him. Of course, he knew when he had to be serious. Seeing him with a patient on the operating table was an entirely different experience to seeing him set up. 

"Good morning, Sugawara-san. Ready and raring as always." it was Kuroo who answered with a lopsided grin, having now clipped his bangs out of his eyes. Kuroo cared - it was just more about whether or not the surgery would go wrong and he'd get a free meal. Low key, of course. It sent a shiver down Iwaizumi's spine.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate myself for what I've subconsciously put Iwaizumi through?? There's a small part in this which gets a little intense - it is marked with a trigger warning before you go into it. I'm sorry and I hope this is okay ~~I don't know how I feel about my Kuroo~~

"How's buffet on legs lately?" 

Kuroo was pushing mackerel around his plate, not even looking up at Iwaizumi as he spoke. Unfortunately this meant that he missed the death scowl that Iwaizumi sent his way. Iwaizumi had become a bit of a joke amongst his 'friends' since they'd learned about Oikawa. Although he never really spoke about the other male, Kuroo had picked up on it the day after he'd spared Oikawa's life. Kuroo had asked if Oikawa was 'fair game' since Iwaizumi hadn't devoured him, and it had resulted in an irate Iwaizumi declaring that nobody was to go within two inches of Oikawa if they felt peckish. He couldn't stop everyone, but those closest to him had gotten the point. 

"I have no idea who you're referring to, _Tetsurou_." Iwaizumi brought his coffee to his lips, slowly sipping the liquid, savouring it on his tongue before swallowing. He returned the mug to the table, unable to dodge the piece of mackerel that was flung towards him. 

"Oikawa." 

Iwaizumi leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. He hated talking to his friends about Oikawa as much as he hated talking to Oikawa about himself. But it was harder to dodge questions that were fired by Kuroo. He had an intense stare which could probably crack the hardiest of people. "He's fine." Luckily Kuroo accepted this but rolled his eyes for good measure. 

"You can say that again. I've gotta go, anyway. Kenma has dessert waiting for me." He flashed a smirk in Iwaizumi's direction, pulled out some money and threw it onto the table before leaving with his hands in his coat pockets. Iwaizumi waited until he was completely out of sight before moving himself. He liked Kuroo. Despite him coming across as an arrogant fool, he was actually a perfect gentleman. He had his moment, sure, but there was zero badness in him. Even with the appetite for humans. Iwaizumi had left some money on the table also, even though Kuroo's contribution had cleared the bill. He started his steady walk back to Oikawa's college, forcing down the swell of almost excited anticipation from seeing him again. 

~~

Oikawa had been handsy when Iwaizumi had gone to meet him. He'd clearly done more than just studying with his friends today. Iwaizumi could smell it on him. He didn't mind it, Oikawa was free to do whatever he wanted to. So long as he was safe about it. As soon as Oikawa had joined Iwaizumi at the gates, he'd clung to him. His arm was suddenly linked, a hand attempting and failing to lace with Iwaizumi's. He'd tried a few kisses as well but only a quarter of them were aimed correctly. Iwaizumi didn't mind it. This was endearing, too. 

But when they'd gotten back to Oikawa's apartment, the hands had wandered even more. Iwaizumi and Oikawa had never done anything beyond a few kisses here and there, and they'd both seen each other shirtless. But nothing had gone past that. There'd been times where Oikawa had tried to make something happen but Iwaizumi had always put his foot down. He didn't know how he'd react in a situation where his senses weren't on high alert. Iwaizumi had swiftly put a stop to Oikawa's actions when his hands had ventured a little too far South. But even though he'd whined about it, Oikawa soon stopped his advances. 

Now they were tucked up in bed together, Oikawa slotted ~~safely~~ between Iwaizumi's legs, head resting on his chest and his eyes closed. Iwaizumi had his arms wrapped around Oikawa (he was too tall, Iwaizumi had come to realise) and his hands linked with themselves on Oikawa's back. When Oikawa was finally asleep, he'd sneak out and eat for the night.

"Hey Iwa-chan?"

"Yes, Oikawa?"

"Will you answer some of my questions now?" 

Iwaizumi frowned, wanting to say no and wanting to say yes at the same time. It depended on the questions, honestly. But maybe they had reached a stage where it was okay for Oikawa to know some things. Perhaps he needed to stop being so terrified of Oikawa thinking of him badly. He was a Ghoul, that was usually the only thing that scared people off. So what was Oikawa's line? "If I feel comfortable answering them, yes." 

Oikawa turned his head, grinning at Iwaizumi. He shifted his body slightly, just so that he could rest his chin on his hands and see Iwaizumi more clearly. 

"Okay - where's this scar from?" Without moving his hands, he extended a finger to brush lightly against the scar which was about 4cm long just above his stomach. Iwaizumi glanced down at it. 

"My sword fighting days." Iwaizumi said, his voice as bored as he could get it. When he saw Oikawa's expression, he offered a smile. "I had my spleen removed." That wasn't a lie. But it didn't seem to have the exciting story that Oikawa was probably expecting. 

"Were you born a Ghoul?" 

"No."

"When did you become one?" 

Iwaizumi hesitated, glancing away from Oikawa as he thought about the question. He wanted to answer it, he wanted to get it out of the way and give Oikawa something to mull over. When Iwaizumi's gaze returned to the brunette resting on him, he couldn't bear to lie or avoid anymore. Oikawa's eyes were wide with wonder, and Iwaizumi didn't feel like he needed to hide anything. 

"Eighteen." He tried to sound monotone about it, but it still got to him. Truthfully, he was probably a Ghoul before then, but he hadn't realised it until he'd reached 18. 

"Aren't you, like, fifty now? Old Iwa-Ghoul." Oikawa's words and smile pushed Iwaizumi's negative thoughts out of his head. It hadn't been _that_ long. Iwaizumi was 22 now. Four years wasn't really anything in comparison to some. "That makes you like a male cougar or something."

"You're only like a month younger than me, Assikawa." Iwaizumi frowned, although there was no feeling in it. Oikawa shrugged, moving his hands from under his chin and resting his head on Iwaizumi's chest again. 

"Still a male cougar." Although he couldn't see it, Iwaizumi felt Oikawa's yawn and heard it break his sentence slightly. 

"Enough questions for tonight. Go to sleep, Oikawa." 

"Yes mother." 

Iwaizumi flicked Oikwa's ear, smiling when the brunette sat, rubbing at it. He stuck his tongue out at Iwaizumi before settling back in his previous position. He kissed Iwaizumi's chest three times before resting his head in a way that would allow him to give in to sleep. "Goodnight Iwa-chan." he mumbled quietly. 

Iwaizumi counted 60 seconds before Oikawa's weight became heavy on him, a sign that Oikawa was well and truly asleep.

"Goodnight Tooru." Iwaizumi whispered, brushing his fingers through Oikawa's hair.

He didn't know when sleep took over him, he hadn't meant to allow it.

~~

_TW - this has a few references to abuse/blood. If these are triggers for you, please go to the next '~~'._

Iwaizumi felt hot. It wasn't a 'man it's warm in here' hot, it was a 'you're burning' hot. He felt liked the tips of his fingers had been scalded. His chest hurt, had he been running? His breathing certainly insinuated that he had been. His lungs felt like they would burst as he desperately tried to fill them as quickly as he could. But Iwaizumi couldn't breathe, there was no space for air in his lungs and anytime he inhaled, he seemed to choke. He quickly glanced down at his own body, panic flowing through him when he saw bleeding cuts covering him from his torso down. Was this why he was feeling so tired? Had he been running at all? He frantically looked around him, trying to find a telltale sign of where he was, what was happening to him. There was nothing. Black walls, black ceiling, black floor. He was trapped in a box and it was getting smaller. He began to push at nothing, tried to keep the box from closing in on him. But his efforts were futile. He fell suddenly, the box opening and murky gas surrounding him. It smelled of cigarettes and disinfectant. He was about to pull himself out of the box when a voice echoed in the back of his mind. "You look so strong, Hajime." He squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could.

~~

He was suddenly awake, eyes darting around the room, taking in his new surroundings. He was in Oikawa's bedroom, the weight on his chest was Oikawa himself. It was hot because the blankets were, the black box was the darkness of the room. He wasn't trapped at all. He was safe, with Oikawa clinging to him. Iwaizumi lifted a hand to his head, pushing his damp hair from his forehead. It tried to cling desperately, but Iwaizumi wouldn't allow it. He glanced down at Oikawa who was still fast asleep on his chest, breathing steady and completely unfazed by Iwaizumi's sudden consciousness. He was grateful for that at least. 

Iwaizumi carefully detached himself from Oikawa's grip, leaving the comfort of the bed and making his way into the kitchen. He clicked on the wall light, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a steady sip. 

He hadn't eaten. 

Iwaizumi put the glass down, letting out a deep sigh. He hadn't fed before he'd slept, and so he'd been haunted by the one nightmare he hated reliving. His gaze fell to the clock on the microwave. It was 03:43am - that was plenty of time to grab something to eat and come back before Oikawa was even close to stirring. Deciding that this would be his plan of action, he switched off the kitchen light and headed back to the bedroom, pulling on a shirt and then leaving Oikawa's apartment. 

He made a mental note to never fall asleep on an empty stomach again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry? I'm not happy with this but practice makes perfect!! My Oikawa isn't great so I do apologise. I'm still getting used to his character reactions.

Oikawa had woken up earlier than usual, forced awake by a sudden craving for toast. He'd been colder than usual when he'd woken up and it had taken him a little while to realise that Iwaizumi was no longer in bed with him. Frowning, Oikawa had rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, glancing towards his alarm clock to see if it was even earlier than he'd thought. 

No. It was 08:36am. He went over his conversation with Iwaizumi last night, trying to think if the other male had said anything that would explain why he wasn't in bed with Oikawa. Perhaps he'd just gotten up for a drink? It was unlike Iwaizumi to get out of bed before Oikawa was awake, though. Oikawa pushed the blankets fully away from his body and slid out of the bed, trying not to notice that Iwaizumi's shirt was no longer on his bedroom floor. Pushing all negative thoughts from his mind, Oikawa wandered into the kitchen. 

Still no sign - although there was a half empty glass of water on the side. Oikawa switched on his coffee machine, pouring away the water while he waited for his coffee to brew. It hadn't been the first time that he'd woken up to no Iwaizumi. The only difference had been that he wasn't expecting an Iwaizumi shaped emptiness in his bed. Had he said something that had made Iwaizumi bolt? He'd asked a few questions but nothing that could possibly warrant being left. 

He was so deep in thought that he jumped when the coffee machine clicked to alert him that his coffee had brewed. He poured himself some out into the already set up mug, tipped 4 sugars into the mug and stirred it slowly. Oikawa shuffled out of the kitchen with his coffee, making his way into the lounge and stopping by the door. He wasn't in there, either. He let out a sigh, silently accepting that Iwaizumi wouldn't just appear in front of him, and took a seat in his chair. Oikawa flicked on the television, only half listening to the news. 

~~

Oikawa had cancelled his plans with his friends just in case Iwaizumi had decided to make an appearance. 

He hadn't.

Oikawa had made himself ramen and brewed a fresh cup of coffee (just right for Iwaizumi) and sat down to eat. He'd waited a good 20 minutes before tucking into his food. He couldn't help but silently curse Iwaizumi for his lack of technology. The other male had refused to get a phone when Oikawa had mentioned it. Probably so he couldn't contact him when he fell off the face of the earth, no doubt. 

The ramen went half eaten because Oikawa decided he was no longer hungry, and the coffee had gone cold hours ago. Oikawa had decided to stop moping around and waiting for someone who probably wasn't going to come back. He'd arranged to meet with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, promising he'd treat them both to mochi as an apology for cancelling this morning. Although reluctant at first, the promise of the treat. 

At least this way he could have fun with his friends and try to forget Iwaizumi's disappearing act. Perhaps they'd bump into each other and Oikawa could give him the cold shoulder. 

~~

The night hadn't gone as he'd planned in his head. Hanamaki and Matsukawa had bailed on him after he'd paid for their mochi. Apparently they had other plans that they just couldn't cancel, and had left Oikawa on his own, shocked that they would do such a thing like leave him on his own. He'd stayed at the cafe for a little longer before deciding it was probably time to head back home. He'd taken the long way, not overly excited about returning to an apartment that was empty. He told himself he was being stupid - Oikawa Tooru didn't care that he'd been all but ditched. He only needed himself, anyway. He'd made it this far without someone like Iwaizumi in his life.

The longer it took him to get home, the more wound up he'd managed to get himself. He arrived back at his apartment with a pout on his face and determination in his eyes. Determination to do what, he wasn't quite sure.

However he hadn't been expecting to see Iwaizumi on the other side of his apartment door when he'd walked inside. He tried not to jump at the sight. Iwaizumi looked a little worse for wear. He was wearing last night's clothes, his hair was flat and it clung to his forehead and the sides of his face (Oikawa hadn't realised how _long_ it was). It was only after Oikawa gave Iwaizumi the once over that he noticed there was dried blood on his shirt as well as dried blood on the corner of his mouth. Oikawa involuntarily gulped, before his eyes met with Iwaizumi's. 

The other male looked slightly lost. In fact, he almost looked embarrassed. Oikawa very slowly hung his jacket up and took a step closer to Iwaizumi. 

"Where-"

"Don't talk." 

Oikawa stopped talking, stopped moving. And then he realised who he was and frowned.

"Don't tell me to shush in my own apartment, Iwa-chan! You should leave. You're messy and getting dirt all over my apartment. And also you're officially in my bad books because you left this morning, so maybe you should leave again." Oikawa folded his arms across his chest as a gesture of authority. The look Iwaizumi gave him almost made it falter, though. Testing the water, Oikawa took another step closer to Iwaizumi, who stayed planted to his spot on the carpet. "You're a messy eater..." Oikawa pointed out, more curious than anything now. Although he still felt angry that Iwaizumi hadn't been around all morning, he was fighting with himself on whether to forgive him, given the state of him right now. 

Iwaizumi scowled, quickly lifting his hand to wipe his mouth, an unmistakable blush appearing on his cheeks. 

Oikawa had stopped close enough that he could bravely reach out to grip at Iwaizumi's wrist. Iwaizumi's jaw tensed, and it made Oikawa smile - big and smug. Oikawa had never been a huge fan of blood, but there was something about seeing Iwaizumi covered in it that sent shivers down his spine. 

"You should shower, Iwa-chan." Oikawa cleared his throat, teeth tugging at his lower lip. He let go of Iwaizumi's wrist, hand falling by his side. Iwaizumi didn't speak as he disappeared into the bathroom. Oikawa was grateful for the moment alone to gather his angry thoughts again.

He was upset. He was angry. He had been _worried_. Where had Iwaizumi been? Had he spent all night eating? 

These were questions Oikawa hoped Iwaizumi would give him answers to tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for all of the fast forwards but I tried and failed to do Mattsun and Makki ;; 
> 
> Also - tomorrow will be a happy day I promise ;-;

"Did you see the news this morning?" 

"I know! It happened not too far from the university. Scary stuff!" 

"Oikawa, did you see it too?" 

Oikawa was only half listening to his classmates. He had seemingly found a dirty spot on the window more interesting than their conversation. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away at the mention of his name, shaking his head at the question. "No I didn't. What happened?" Oikawa never watched the news. He usually had it on as background noise in the morning while he ate breakfast, but he didn't like paying attention to it. There was so much badness lately and it was draining. Plus he'd always been preoccupied with something else. Checking the latest volleyball news on his phone, going through the notes he should have revised the night before or sorting out laundry. Lately, he'd had his time taken up by Iwaizumi too. Which was why he hadn't seen it this morning.

He folded his papers up as the guy across from him started telling him all about what had been on the news. He wished he hadn't asked. A couple of days ago, the CCG had been called to an apartment where they'd found around 6 bodies (or body parts, rather) strewn over the furniture. It had apparently been a massacre. Oikawa tried to force the sick feeling from his stomach. "That's horrible." 

It was, incredibly horrible.

"I know! Binge eaters here in Miyagi! It's scary." 

Oikawa had then excused himself from the table quickly, receiving smiles from both of the other students. He hadn't gotten far when he'd bumped into Hanamaki. It didn't take him too long to be back to his usual self, forgetting all mentions of the ghastly news. 

~~

It seemed like today would actually be a norma day. They'd been blessed(?) with a pop quiz in Physical Education Health Care - which Oikawa had actually struggled with. There were certain aspects of health care he wasn't particularly good at. Lunch had been a usual Makki and Mattsun making childish remarks at Oikawa's expense, him getting pouty and defensive and then them apologising not-so-whole-heartedly. As usual, it had resulted in Oikawa behaving like a seven year old who just got told he wasn't allowed a juice box. They'd finished the day off with a lecture in Sports Exercise which didn't seem to last for two minutes. 

He'd walked to the gate with Makki and Mattsun only to be surprised by a rather edgy looking Iwaizumi. 

"Iwa-chan! What are you going here?" Oikawa cocked his head to the side as he strolled up with Makki and Mattsun. The two were hovering a little behind him, looking somewhat similar to twins with their mirrored expressions. They were both looking at Iwaizumi with their eyebrows raised and lips pulled into a smirk. Oikawa ignored them, pleasantly surprised to see Iwaizumi.

"I finished work early. Are you hanging out with your friends?" He nodded towards the two additions. Oikawa turned to face his friends, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 

"Ah, Iwa-chan - this is Hanamaki and Matsukawa. Makki, Mattsun, this is Iwa-chan." Oikawa was waving his arms about as he introduced them to each other, before resting his hands on his hips, a bright grin on his face. Iwaizumi nodded to the two males, who both responded with a simple 'hello'. 

"Nice to meet you - Oikawa, I can meet you back at home?" Iwaizumi offered, his edginess reaching new levels. Oikawa knew that Iwaizumi was a shy one, even if he hid it well, but he hadn't thought he'd look this anxious. 

"No, no! We were going to get ramen, you should join us Iwa-chan! Mattsun and Makki don't mind." He waved his hand idly, not even looking towards his friends to see if they approved or not. "I'll buy you a coffee." Oikawa nudged Iwaizumi gently in the direction they needed to be heading. Iwaizumi slapped at his hand with little force, trying to ignore the looks boring into his back.

~~

"Your friends seem nice, Oikawa." 

They'd arrived back at the apartment after what seemed like hours. Dinner had been interesting. They'd all had ramen, even Iwaizumi, but he hadn't touched his. He'd made up some excuse that he felt ill and ended up having three cups of coffee. Mattsun and Makki hadn't said anything about it. In fact, they had barely said anything at all. It had mainly been Oikawa who had done the talking. His friends had left without so much as a word to Iwaizumi, telling Oikawa they'd see him in class. On the journey back to the apartment, Iwaizumi had been quiet, too. The only reason he'd spoken was to check that Oikawa was okay and that he'd had a nice night. 

"Well they are _my_ friends, Iwa-chan. I only have nice ones." Oikawa smiled at him, relieved to see that the comment relaxed Iwaizumi somewhat. They'd both settled on the sofa and Oikawa shifted slowly to close the gap between himself and Iwaizumi. The other male hadn't objected as Oikawa pulled himself onto his lap, head resting on his shoulder. "We should go for ramen again one day. And you guys can actually speak instead of being mutes. It's so tiring doing all the work!" Oikawa snaked his arms around Iwaizumi's neck, shifting himself on Iwaizumi's lap again so that he didn't get a crick in his neck. 

"I thought you enjoyed hearing the sound of your own voice, Oikawa." Iwaizumi mused, offering a playful smile. Oikawa pouted, poking Iwaizumi in the shoulder.

"You shouldn't be so rude, Iwa-chan. We might fall out." 

"That would be _devastating_." Iwaizumi managed a dramatic sigh. The pout on Oikawa's face deepened, and Iwaizumi pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth in an attempt to brush it off. It almost worked. He kisses the opposite corner of Oikawa's mouth.

"I still think you're mean, Iwa-chan." 

Iwaizumi grinned, hands trailing up Oikawa's waist, raising his shirt so that his fingers brushed against Oikawa's skin. "Do you?" He mumbled, catching sight of Oikawa's open mouth. 

Iwaizumi leaned in, his lips millimeters away from Oikawa's. "You might be right." He then proceeded to tickle Oikawa mercilessly. Oikawa attempted to escape, but Iwaizumi's grip was tight enough to stop him. He flipped them on the sofa, Oikawa's back falling against the cushions with an audible thud. 

The room was then filled with the sound of the television.

"-jacket was found at the scene this afternoon where three more bodies were recovered. If anyone has any idea who this jacket may belong to, we desperately insist that they contact their nearest station." 

The jacket that Iwaizumi had pulled on this morning flashed onto the screen, covered in blood and dirt. 

"Iwa-cha..." 

Iwaizumi had frozen solid. Oikawa could feel his heart beating fast in his throat.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has a lot of gore/abuse/reference to lab experiments because it goes over the events of the binge eater and also dips into Iwaizumi's past. It is quite confusing so it literally goes - flashback of Iwa's past, where Iwa is currently rn and then to the night where Iwa didn't come back to Oikawa. 
> 
> I know I said today would be happy in my last chapter, but fear not! There will be another chapter released today n_n
> 
> As always I value all of your comments and appreciate every Kudos <3 <3

His head was spinning, reeling, his thoughts scattered and confusing. Iwaizumi hadn't had nightmares for a good three years. When his transformation had happened, he'd been unable to sleep. On the rare occasion that he did, he would be plagued by nightmares of his upbringing. He'd wake up drenched in sweat, head pounding and more often than not, his nose would be bleeding. He wasn't fortunate enough to escape the nightmares even when he was awake, though. 

Iwaizumi had been raised in hate, a burden to his family. He couldn't remember his mother and father, the only memory which stuck with him was the day they handed him over to ghouls. He often tried to think about what he'd done to make them hate him so much. He struggled to think of anything. Iwaizumi had always been a good child. He'd always taken care of his baby sister and had always helped his mother clean the dishes. But when he'd turned ten years old, his parents had given him up. 

His new carer had seemed sickly sweet at first, comforting Iwaizumi while he'd cried and pined for his mother and father. But after two weeks, she'd turned. His soft bed had been trades for a cage, his hot dinners for day old food in a pet's bowl. He slept and cried, confined to the small space. This was how he spent his days. He waited and waited, his only form of contact being relocation. He was sometimes moved to a large white room, settled on a comfy (compared to his cage) bed. He would be greeted with a man with red eyed in a bright white coat and that was all he'd remembered. 

~~

"Earth to Iwaizumi." 

Iwaizumi blinked away his daydream, frowning deeply at the grinning male in front of him. Kuroo Tetsurou had been a thorn in his side over the past few days, forcing his company more often than not. "What?" Iwaizumi's voice was hoarse, eyes narrowed.

Kuroo leaned back in his seat, arms folded across his chest, the grin still planted on his face. "Were you daydreaming about Oikawa again? How long has it been since you've seen each other now?" Kuroo's voice was as smooth as silk, his question almost a coo in Iwaizumi's direction. "I'm sure he'll forgive you once you flutter your eyelashes at him."

Iwaizumi glared at the other male. Since the incident with the news, Iwaizumi hadn't seen Oikawa for two weeks. Not because Oikawa had sent him away, but because Iwaizumi had been concerned about what Oikawa would do. There'd been lots of questions and lots of Oikawa rambling on about how there 'had to be a logical explanation'. Iwaizumi didn't offer him one. Instead he'd left, finding it damn near impossible to not turn back after hearing Oikawa's pleas, after hearing his voice crack under tears. But he didn't know how volatile Oikawa was. And he didn't want to knowingly put him in any kind of danger. 

"Lighten up, Iwa-chan!" Iwaizumi pushed his cup of coffee over, staring at Kuroo as the liquid ran off the table and onto Kuroo's trousers. The other male jumped in surprise, his chair leg catching on the floor, causing him to fall back in his chair with a grunt. Iwaizumi smiled once Kuroo's was out of view, picking his cup back up and throwing a few napkins down to soak up the brown liquid that was still left on the table. 

"Oops." Iwaizumi mumbled, rising to his feet. He pulled out some money from his jeans pocket and dropped it onto the table. Kuroo had now gotten to his feet too and was brushing dust out of his hair. 

"Idiot. You could have killed me!" Kuroo whined dramatically, his hands falling by his sides when he was happy with his hair. 

"Now that would have been devastating." Iwaizumi deadpanned. Kuroo began to walk in the opposite direction, mumbling something about how rude Iwaizumi was. With a smirk, he followed with his hands in his pockets.

~~

Iwaizumi usually had his meals planned. He usually stuck to choosing any John Does or Jane Does that came into work, the guilt afterwards not being quite so prominent. Tonight he'd 'claimed' the elderly John Doe who had been brought into the practice the day before. He'd suffered a heart attack and Sugawara had been unable to save him. He wouldn't be missed - nobody knew who he was. Iwaizumi was usually quite a clean eater, making sure to get rid of any trace of ghoul activity before he returned to Oikawa. He hadn't always been this way. When he'd first started out, he'd been messy. He'd been so caught up in how good human flesh tasted that he'd not even bothered to wipe his hands, his mouth. But as he'd broken free from the grasp of his carer, he'd learned that it wasn't pleasant. It wasn't _cool_. It was disturbing. 

Iwaizumi checked his watch. It hadn't taken him too long to eat, and he was pleasantly full. He'd made sure that everything was as clean as Sugawara's practice before making his way back to Oikawa's apartment. He'd shower before climbing back into bed with the other male. It was only fair.

He'd managed to get halfway back to Oikawa's place when a familiar scent (or two) had caught his attention. He didn't believe that you could differentiate between individual ghouls, just between humans and ghouls. But working with a certain person all day, every day, had him second guessing his belief. He'd just walked past Oikawa's University when the scent hit him hard. 

His instincts had been to leave it, to go home and not get involved. As soon as he did, he'd be held responsible for whatever was going on. But on the other hand, if his nose wasn't betraying him, perhaps he _should_ get involved. He changed his destination, with that in mind, to the block of apartments across from the University. 

He'd gotten to the second floor when the sickly smell of blood hit his nostrils. It was overpowering and it made Iwaizumi's head spin. Persevering, he continued to make his way up the stairs. He reached the third floor, where weak screams joined the strong scent of blood. Iwaizumi felt his heartbeat in is throat, pumping four times the speed it should have been. He forced himself towards the noises, pushing open the already ajar door to Room 304. 

He had been praying that he was wrong. That he would come across a ghoul that was completely unfamiliar to him. 

He wasn't so lucky tonight. 

Time seemed to stop as he faced the other male. The ghoul in question dropped the body in his hands and stared at Iwaizumi. His eyes were red, his face was red, his clothes were red. Iwaizumi tensed his jaw, tearing his gaze away from the other males for a split second to take in their surroundings. 

"Kuroo, what have you done?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is following on from the last chapter - and then it goes into current events. And that will be the end of the time travelling!!!

Iwaizumi didn't get a reply in the form of words. He got a reply in the form of Kuroo's kagune hurtling towards him. Kuroo had never disclosed his Rc type to Iwaizumi - it had never actually come up in a conversation. But he could tell by the sharp, tail-like organ that hit his chest, that Kuroo was a Bikaku ghoul. The force of the kagune against his body was enough to push him against the wall by the door. He felt the wind being knocked from him, stabbing pains shooting around his chest and shoulders, rushing down his back. He wasn't down for long, though, pushing himself to his feet as soon as he managed to inhale. Kuroo was prepared for him, whipping his kagune around again to slice across Iwaizumi's shoulder. 

Little did he know that Iwaizumi was also prepared for Kuroo. His own kagune met Kuroo's, four knife-like tentacles creating a shield in front of him. Kuroo grunted at the impact, but tried again. Iwaizumi curled one of his tentacles around the tail, throwing Kuroo against the far wall. The wall gave way from the impact and Iwaizumi cursed under his breath. He didn't stay down for long, picking himself up and throwing himself at Iwaizumi's form, kagune stretched out to offer a blow to Iwaizumi. He was slow to react, taking the force of the kagune hit. He hadn't fought for a long time, and he could already feel his chest beginning to hurt from the exertion. 

Iwaizumi pushed himself to his feet again, rushing back towards Kuroo with his kagune preparing to hit at the other male. Kuroo had the same idea and they met midair, kagunes making a sickening sound as they met. Iwaizumi's strength showed, though, able to force Kuroo towards the floor. Despite the rather huge meal Kuroo had just had, he was already becoming weak. Iwaizumi didn't stop hitting Kuroo once he was down, kagune hitting the other male in all of the weakening points. He only stopped when he heard Kuroo's breathing slow. Iwaizumi, still alert, hovered over his colleague, eyes burning as red as Kuroo's. 

"Tetsurou." he mumbled, sighing with relief as Kuroo offered a smirk. But the smirk was lopsided and pained, which gave Iwaizumi the confirmation he needed to rein his own kagune in. "We need to get you out of here, buddy." Kuroo didn't resist as Iwaizumi bundled him over his shoulder. He silently thanked whatever God was out there for bestowing such brilliant agility upon him as he exited through the window. 

~~

Kuroo has promised it was a one time thing.

Iwaizumi wasn't best pleased when he had a phone call asking for help a few days later. 

He was even more furious when he realised he'd left his jacket. 

~~

Kuroo had since apologised for his behaviour (including the binge eating and also the damage he'd done to Iwaizumi). It had been hard to refuse his apology for the injuries, considering it no longer caused him pain. He found it harder to accept the apology for the binge eating, though. Kuroo had done that knowingly - nobody had forced him. But at the end of the day, Iwaizumi didn't have to get involved the first time. And that would have saved his involvement in the second time. On the day that they'd met for coffee, Kuroo had given him some tips on how to win Oikawa back over. 

"Be honest with him - it wasn't you, it was me. I'll even meet the guy if I need to."

"That won't be necessary." Iwaizumi didn't know if Oikawa would accept his apology or explanation, but he sure as hell wasn't going to introduce Kuroo to him. Not with Kuroo's track record, anyway. Iwaizumi had dropped Kuroo back off with Kenma, who had been playing on his new video game. Kenma was a boy of few words, but the times he did speak, it was only to offer sound advice. 

"If I can forgive Kuroo for what he's done, Tooru will surely forgive you for being a good friend." 

This had caused Kuroo to blush - something that Iwaizumi didn't even think was possible. 

Iwaizumi had thanked Kenma and then made his journey back to Oikawa's apartment. He made a few stops on the way.

~~ 

Oikawa hadn't been sulking, not at all. Maybe he'd cried a little bit for the first few days that Iwaizumi had left. But he'd been hurt. If the news was right, Iwaizumi had done a bad thing. Oikawa wasn't scared or angry at him, though. He was scared _for_ him. If Iwaizumi had done something as horrific as the news had said, then they would work it out. They'd get Iwaizumi help so that he didn't binge anymore. 

Iwaizumi hadn't even given Oikawa a chance. And that had hurt more than anything else. 

But after a few days of going over everything in his head, he'd forced himself out of his slump. He'd spent time with Makki and Mattsun and he'd even visited his old friend and former volleyball rival, Tobio Kageyama. He had missed Iwaizumi, but he wouldn't put his entire life on hold because he was without. 

Just his nights. Nights spent alone where he wished he could wrap his arms around Iwaizumi, nights where he'd be joined by a cool body who always smelled of soap and chocolate. He'd get over the nights eventually. 

Tonight he'd opted for a movie in rather than a night on the town with Makki and Mattsun. With the news being how it had been lately, he hadn't felt so comfortable going out and getting drunk. He'd rented Alien again and made himself some popcorn instead. Oikawa had been halfway through a really scary part when there'd been a knock at the door. He'd jumped so high that his popcorn fell to the floor. 

He didn't want to answer the door - but the knock. It sounded oh-so familiar. Oikawa picked up the popcorn bowl and kept his in his hand, moving towards the front door. Whoever it was, they'd be met with a plastic bowl if they attempted to murder him. 

He unbolted his door and pulled it open, bowl raised and ready for a fight. He dropped it as soon as he saw who it was. 

"Iwa-chan." Oikawa breathed, feeling his heart stop and speed up all at the same time. Was the room spinning? Or did he just feel incredibly dizzy? He tensed his jaw - he was angry. But then he took in Iwaizumi's features. His messy hair that was so awful but so suited to Iwaizumi that he made it look good, his strong eyebrows and eyes which held so much expression. Those eyes which told Oikawa everything while keeping so many secrets. Oikawa then came to Iwaizumi's lips - lips he'd kissed, lips that had kissed him. Lips he'd dreamed about ever since Iwaizumi had left. He was angry. But he couldn't stay that way.

"Hey, Oikawa."

His voice. Oikawa had forgotten how much he'd missed Iwaizumi's voice. The rough, gravelly tone which just happened to be so soft at the same time. It bewildered Oikawa that someone with an appearance like Iwaizumi's could speak in a way that made everything seem okay, like every bad thing in the world would start to pull itself together and no longer be broken. 

Oikawa's walls crumbled, his anger subsided and he closed the gap between them, arms wrapping around Iwaizumi's body. The other male didn't resist, and he didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around Oikawa, pulling him as close as he could. 

"Welcome home, Iwa-chan. Please stay this time."

Iwaizumi hadn't got any plans to leave in a hurry this time.


End file.
